Fodor's Expert Review Gramercy Park

You can't enter this private park, but a look through the bars of its surrounding wrought-iron fence and a stroll around its perimeter are worth your time. The beautifully planted, 2-acre park—designed by developer Samuel B. Ruggles and flanked by grand examples of early-19th-century architecture—dates from 1831 and is permeated with the character of its many celebrated occupants.

When Ruggles bought the property, it went by the Dutch name Krom Moerasje (little crooked swamp). He drained the swamp and set aside 42 lots for a park to be accessible exclusively to those who bought the surrounding lots in his planned, London-style residential square. In 1966, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Gramercy Park a historic district. The park is still owned by residents of the buildings surrounding it (who have keys), although neighbors can now buy visiting privileges.